A wide variety of methods and devices are available for terminating the conductor of an insulated electrical wire such that the conductor may provide a reliable electrical connection between circuitry apparatus of diverse type. Because of its inherent economies, a preferred method involves terminating a conductor to a terminal or contact member without previously stripping or removing the insulative cladding covering the conductor. Such a method is particularly well suited for use in the telecommunications or data processing industries, wherein electronic equipment often is field-installed or serviced. By eliminating the step of stripping the insulation from the conductor, significant economics are possible in the wiring of electronic or electrical apparatus.
In a common method which has become widely accepted, the insulative cladding of the conductor is severed by the edges of a slot formed in a terminal or contact member, permitting the insulative cladding to be displaced in the region of the connection. Such terminals most often are fabricated as stamped and formed sheet metal components. The insulation displacement slots most often are formed in generally planar walls of the sheet metal.
One form of insulation displacement terminal is elongated and includes a mating end, a terminating end and an intermediate section therebetween. The intermediate section mounts the terminal in a connector housing. The mating end is interengageable with a complementary terminal of a mating connector. The terminating end or section is channel-shaped of a generally U-shaped cross-section provided by a pair of side walls joined by a base wall. A U-shaped distal end of the terminating section includes a conductor-receiving insulation-displacing slot extending into each side wall of the section generally parallel to the base wall thereof. This structure leaves free arm portions of the side walls on the sides of the slots opposite the base wall. Problems have been encountered with such structures because the free arm portions of the side walls have a tendency to bend or collapse during termination of a conductor, i.e. during forcing of the conductor into the slots in the side walls of the terminating sections. This invention is directed to solving this problem by providing reinforcing means along the free edges of the side walls to prevent collapsing thereof.